The Effect of Lean Practices on Environmental Performance: An Empirical Study

Lean production has emerged in the past decades as one of the most popular topics in business and manufacturing literature, as it is the production paradigm currently applied in many industries. This paradigm is characterized by five principles and the importance of reducing waste (muda). In the same way, the environmental performance of companies in terms of pollution prevention and use of natural resources is another widespread issue for both firms and customers. This focus on \u201cGreen manufacturing\u201d is part of one of the three pillars of Sustainable development. Lean and the so-called Green paradigm are both focused on waste reduction and several authors have studied their relationships (common points and divergences) and the synergic effects of joining these two management approaches. However, the impact of Lean practices on environmental performance is still unclear, as limited empirical research has been conducted in this field. In this chapter, a study is carried out in order to analyze the impact on environmental performance in manufacturing firms that have implemented various Lean practices. The chapter is divided in two parts. First we have conducted a review of the relevant literature in order to give a state-of-the-art general picture. The second part of the chapter has a strong empirical focus. Three case studies regarding firms that have started a Lean transformation program for at least five years are investigated in depth. Moreover, a cross-case analysis is carried out to map the possible relationships between Lean practices and particular Green performances. The general findings of the research outline that the environmental performance of the company is enhanced in the long-term after the implementation of Lean practices

Sustainability, lean, green and eco-efficiency symbioses

A literature review was conducted aiming at investigating the use of Sustainability, Lean, Green and eco-efficiency concepts, as well as meaningful combinations of those, on the field of Production and Operations Management. The study reports on the scientific papers published in all major journals in the field over the period 2001–2015. A set of 83 papers from 40 journals were selected for further analyzes, aiming at uncovering the existing level of awareness and use of the synergic and symbiotic relationship between Lean Manufacturing and Green Production. The findings show that a modest share of papers, about 30 %, explicitly recognize the Lean-Green joint approach. The same study testifies a clear growth pattern, which is patently reinforced in the last two and a half years, on the number of papers that behold a combined approach towards more efficient and cleaner production activities. The research has highlighted that the Lean-Green link does, in fact, exist and is gaining momentum, but requires further reinforcements from the scientific community, as well as from the companies, to deliver excelled and environmentally sound production systems.FCT Strategic Project PEst2015-2020, reference UID/CEC/00319/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio